THE CURIOUS MINDS CLUB 
Description
In this second instalment, we turn our attention to the casualties.
Long before beriberi, B1 deficiency often presents as something far less conspicuous – a constellation of symptoms that many practitioners encounter every day. Drawing on classic depletion studies, modern clinical research and the physiology of energy metabolism, we examine what B1 insufficiency actually looks like in practice, why it is so easily overlooked, and which patients are most likely to be walking the metabolic tightrope without realising it. We’ll explore the overlap between its deficiency and conditions commonly labelled as dysautonomia, chronic fatigue, functional disorders and unexplained symptom complexes, before discussing an evidence-informed approach to assessment and repletion. Along the way, we’ll tackle some of the controversies surrounding thiamine supplementation, including benfotiamine, high-dose protocols, the role of magnesium, and why a generic B-complex may not always be the most rational response to a suspected B1 problem.
This is an important discussion about one of the smallest nutrient reserves in the human body and one of the largest blind spots in modern clinical practice.
